Interact
with Mishpacha
Judaism isn't lived alone. Mishpacha offers
three way for you to join with other Jews in exploring your Jewish journey:
Judy Beck is a seasoned counselor and outreach worker, specializing in helping
Jews connect to Jewish life in a way that's right and meaningful for them. Looking
for advice? She provides personal responses to your questions, as well as posting
answers to questions of broad interest on the "Ask Judy" section of
this site.
Imagine a Jewish community small enough to know everyone, where people come
together to explore Jewish life and and the Jewish calendar, where people can
share the ups and downs of their daily life and spiritual struggles in a way
not possible in a 1000-member synagogue.
Three decades ago, counterculture Jews created just such a community in the
havurah, Hebrew for fellowship. Since the first havurot, these
small communities have spread across America. Some of the largest synagogues
have created dozen of smaller havurah groups among their members, bringing
intimacy to their large communities.
This is the idea behind our Mishpacha private communities: Groups of 25 families,
who set out together on a three-month discussion of Jewish life and beliefs.
While the discussion will be facilitated by a trained facilitator, the private
message boards where each Mishpacha havurah congregates separate on-line
are roomy enough to encompass wide-ranging discussions, to enbrace all your
issues and concerns, whether or not directly related to the curriculum. At the
end of the three months, the message board remains intact, enabling the community
to continue as long as its participants desire.
To ensure diversity in each community, participants must apply on-line. Those
accepted for what is currently a limited number of openings will be asked to
pay a $25 fee to help cover the cost of the program.
To apply, click here.
Not interested in talking with a trained community organizer? Don't want to
join an on-line community? Just want to kvetch to this Web site? We welcome
all kinds of feedback and queries, but remind you, if you want a real person
rather than a Webmaster to address your concers, Ask
Judy. Otherwise, e-mail us at feedback@mishpacha.org.
Jewish
Beliefs
A very brief outline of Jewish thought
A Jewish Journey, Wrestling with
God, Fixing the World, Gender Roles
Jewish
Practice
A very brief outline of Jewish practice
Blessings, Kosher food, Sabbath,
Sexuality, Kaddish & Yizkor
Holidays
A guide to understanding and celebrating the Jewish calendar
Sabbath, Rosh Hashana,
Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Passover, Purim
Life
Cycle
How Jews celebrate and observe life's passages
Birth, Circumcision, Bar/Bat
Mitzvah, Marriage, Death & Mourning
Parenting
How to raise a Jewish child
An introduction to Jewish
parenting, Traditional texts on parenting, Shabbat as a family, Hanukkah for
kids, Children and mourning
Community
How to find a place in your local Jewish community
Why connect? Choosing a
place to live, Connecting to schools and synagogues, Shaking up your synagogue,
Starting a community, Mishpacha's on-line communities
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